


To Cure A Broken Soul

by Petra4President, ThatHotStuff



Series: Corpsekkuno <3 [8]
Category: youtube - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, But only slightly in the future, Don't Say We Didn't Warn You, Guns, Heavy Angst, Human Experimentation, M/M, Mentions of Rape, Read this at your own discretion, Violence and Gore, its rough, powers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-16 21:34:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28588851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petra4President/pseuds/Petra4President, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatHotStuff/pseuds/ThatHotStuff
Summary: Quiet steps of shoes hitting the linoleum floor finally broke Corpse out of his trance. He shook his head and stared wide-eyed as the figure came closer, pausing before the other cushioned chair. The most gentle pair of mocha eyes were lingering on Corpse from the other side of the table. He felt himself gulp, suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of self-consciousness. He shifted in his seat to a position that made the fucked up side of his face less visible. Out of the corner of his eye, he continued to study the new doctor.‘’Y-you must be Corpse! It’s really nice to finally meet yo- ‘’ Corpse completely zoned out when the voice of the lithe man reached his ears. He had never heard such a tender and warm sound before. It resembled a protagonist straight out of one of those anime’s Corpse used to binge watch before… before he ended up here. As Corpse melted to the angelic voice that was Dr. Sykkuno, he found himself thinking:Fuck I'm screwed.
Relationships: Corpse Husband & Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Corpsekkuno <3 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015482
Comments: 16
Kudos: 221
Collections: Server Simps





	1. Tuskegee

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to those who still dared to read this after the tags! I hope you're in for a world of hurt...but don't worry, there's a happy ending. ThatHotStuff and I are so excited to finally post this story after working on it for a week now. Enjoy!
> 
> Thank you to MollyRolls for being our beta and Seiya for the prompt!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: HUMAN EXPERIMENTATION, MENTIONS OF RAPE, GUNS, VIOLENCE, GORE

Corpse had never lived an easy life. The moment he was brought into this world, he was doomed to a life of misery. Perhaps it was being born to parents who could care less about his well being, or the poverty he lived in for practically his entire life. It was what drove him away, what made him seek a better hand than what was dealt to him. He dropped out of school at 12, jumping from alley to alley until he was old enough to get a job. When he was 15, he paid to live in the basement of a kind old lady. For that year, things seemed to finally be turning for the better. He was successfully picking up the shattered pieces of the puzzle that made up his existence. 

He worked at a Burger King, essentially the even shittier version of McDonald’s. Ms. Hoggins, the elderly woman he lived with, never once questioned why a boy as young as himself was all alone...and he was thankful for that. Corpse had never experienced the kind, motherly touch before, a characteristic that could easily be described as the embodiment of Ms. Hoggins, and after a particularly rough day for him, she offered him a hug. And he broke down. 

Of everything in the outside world, he missed her the most. 

But life had decided to throw him a curveball. Well, it was more of a cannonball shot full-force at an already injured man. He remembered going to the hospital nearby, a doctor giving him some sort of anesthetic before everything for him turned black. And when he awoke, he found himself lying on the dusty ground of an old cell. His mind was hazy but he was still able to recognize the sound of distant sobs and screams. It took him a week of confinement there to get his first taste of the facility he was being kept in, of the horrors that awaited him. 

He could still picture the sights he saw the first time he got dragged down that hallway. They were vivid memories, constantly haunting him every time he closed his eyes. He saw a man, bloodied and bruised, cowering in the corner of his cell as a lone guard advanced on him. He heard a gunshot ring out, painfully filling the maze of hallways, and he could only watch helplessly as the headless body of what had once been a person fell to the floor with a dry sound. The first tear he shed was when he caught the glimpse of a girl, not much older than himself, being held from behind, blood running down from between her legs as a soldier relentlessly rammed into her. He wanted nothing more than to come to her aid but logically, he knew he couldn’t fight off the two guards flanking him. 

Soon enough, they reached a pristine white door, the third one on the left side, and one of the men escorting him pushed the metal open with a loud squeak. From there he was all but forced onto the surgical table and, while he struggled against them with all his might, he could only get in a few good hits before being subdued. They swore he’d be sorry for that and Corpse knew they would keep that promise. 

The first doctor he experienced was a man named Karl. He was younger, probably in his early 20s, but Corpse quickly learned not to underestimate him. He was strapped down to a sterile table with leather cuffs, a syringe filled with a strange green liquid laid on the tray next to him. The room smelt heavily of formaldehyde and bleach, a combination that made him sick to his stomach. Karl’s smile was menacing as he plunged the first needle into his neck. 

“They don’t understand what we’re trying to do,” He had said, chuckling at the way Corpse’s body convulsed while he was practically foaming at the mouth, “When these experiments are a success, we’ll be able to extend human life far beyond its capabilities. You should be honored. I mean, you were just a leech feeding off the generosity of an old woman before we found you.” Corpse held in his groan of pain, digging his nails into the palm of his hand until he was sure he drew blood despite the bluntness of his fingernails. 

“Strong words,” Corpse grunted as he shot the man the most spiteful glare he could muster, “for someone who still calls for his mommy when he has to take a shit.” Karl growled, snatching the scalpel off the silver tray and digging the blade into his forearm. He left a long incision up until the inside of his elbow, careful to avoid the radial artery. The teen had to bite down on his tongue in an attempt to avoid screaming. He wouldn’t give this bastard the satisfaction of that. 

“I’ll enjoy experimenting on you.” And that was just the start of it. From there, it was constant tests and serums injected into his body; fire coursed through his veins with every trial and tribulation. Hours turned into days, days turned into months, and soon enough, Corpse lost track of how long he’s been there. And it only solidified the fact that he was never getting out of there. He has long since given up on that. But, he was able to learn a little bit of where he was being held captive. 

He didn’t know the name of the facility but the other subjects called it ‘Tuskegee’ and their goal was simple: extend human life. They did this by the use of serums; Styx was the name of the vial filled with yellow liquid. Its purpose was to grant immortality. That one wasn’t used often and when it was, the results were often far from what they wanted. The second serum was a green liquid they called Renewal. While not much was known about Styx, Corpse _did_ know that Renewal was extracted from the DNA of a starfish and octopus. 

That was the serum being used on him. It was more predictable and could easily be controlled. Despite the fact it felt like he was burning alive every time they used it. Corpse didn’t know where Tuskegee was located nor did he ever expect to be let out. You see, most people that come into the facility only had two options: live out the rest of their life being tortured or... die there. 

And a majority of the time, it would be the latter. 

After a year of being Karl’s lab rat, he showed no signs the serum was working so they decided to transfer him under the ‘care’ of someone new. But they didn’t stick around long either. To them, Corpse was a problematic patient. He was constantly fighting the scientists every step of the way, throwing insults when he could even if it resulted in his treatment being worse. He refused to go down without a fight and if he was going to die in Tuskegee, then he might as well make it hell for them too. 

But one of the breaking points for him was when he was assigned to a man going by the name of Destiny. He was a harsh, cruel experimenter who only cared about the results without taking into account the health of his subject. At least other scientists would allow their ‘patients’ to heal between each trial. He held both the highest mortality rate as well as the highest success rate. It was all of their last-ditch attempts to make something useful of Corpse, as the person who ran Tuskegee so eloquently put it. He had only seen the man in person a handful of times, never hearing a name or call sign. 

The last time he saw him was the fateful day Destiny decided to take things a step further. It wasn’t uncommon for the trials they put them through to be painful, often leaving scars on the body. If they were lucky enough, the serum would work and there wouldn’t be a mark left. But that wasn’t the case for most of the inmates. For Corpse, he knew something was off the second he was strapped onto a table in a room he didn’t recognize. There were no windows, drains were placed methodically around the table, and he immediately noticed the ventilation vents lining the ceiling. 

“Hopefully this will teach you to shut up, brat.” Destiny sneered, picking up a beaker filled with a clear liquid. It bubbled in the glassware and as the scientist brought it closer, Corpse scrunched his nose at its pungent stench. Destiny's smirk quickly turned maniacal as he poured the contents directly on his right eye. 

Corpse couldn’t hold back the scream that ripped through his throat. 

When he awoke, he could only see out of one eye. His skin was leathery and raised all along the lower half of his face, extending up towards his right orb, which was now an empty socket. He caught his first glimpse later that day when it was time for his daily check-up. His face was the kind of horror you’d find in a movie. And it disgusted him. 

That experiment was the last trial he did with Destiny. He lost track of the time he spent rotting in that cell, enduring beatings from the guards who had nothing better to do, or getting thrown into solitary confinement for who knows how long. It was truly a miracle he hadn’t gone insane. Well, not that it hadn't affected his mental health. Mentally, the older he became, the more fucked up he got, but being locked up and tormented in Tuskegee only made it far worse than it was. 

His main tormentor outside of the lab was a guard named X. He _thrived_ off causing the subjects even more misery and Corpse happened to be his favorite to beat. Every time he came, he would have some sort of weapon that was different than the previous one. The last time he encountered X was about a week ago judging by his healing injuries. He had a serrated knife that instance and Corpse still remembered the way it tore through the skin on his arms. 

“I can’t tell you how _satisfying_ it is to make someone like you scream.” X had laughed, pulling the blade out of his bicep and wiping it off on his pants. Corpse panted, an instinctive hand coming to clasp the fresh wound, only for him to hiss in pain. His hands were covered in a layer of dirt since he practically lived on the ground. 

“Kinda pathetic to feel threatened by an injured teenager, if you ask me.” Corpse’s singular eye flickered over to where the man stood, “Such fragile masculinity…” That earned him a sharp kick to the ribs but it was worth it in every sense of the phrase. Upsetting the scientists was nice and all...but pissing off X? _That_ was no doubt the only pleasure he got from being here. 

“Come on, it's time to meet your new doctor.” Corpse was snapped free from his reverie when the sound of the metal cell door opening grated his eardrums, revealing a man with brown hair pulled back into a man bun. His eyes were blue and he had a subtle Irish accent. Corpse knew his name was Jack and he was the only guard he’s come across that _didn't_ beat the inmates when he got bored. In fact, he often stopped the fights when they occurred. But that still didn't mean Corpse trusted the guy. 

As per protocol, his hands and ankles were handcuffed together, a chain connecting the two to avoid any resistance. He walked in front of Jack, the barrel of the gun he was wielding pressed into his spine to keep him moving forward. He had these hallways memorized like the back of his hand. Rather than the third door on the left, he was taken a little further down to the last door, rust building along the bottom of the otherwise pristine white metal. 

Corpse has heard a few things about this new doctor from the passing soldiers. He was fresh out of med school, caught the eye of their boss, and was brilliant. It explained why he was being dumped in his care: torture the new guy. And Corpse was going to make it his mission to do just exactly that. No one, and definitely not some newly-graduated college kid, was going to bring him down.

For every step, Corpse’s feet grew heavier. His body was slumping more and more the closer they got to their location. Jack must have taken notice eventually because he gave Corpse a small warning by pushing the gun almost painfully against his spine. It caused Corpse to flinch, and he used the remaining energy to try to keep his body upright.

"No games today, Corpse." Corpse simply responded by rolling his eye, but he knew better than to push his luck any further. After all, Jack was one of the few guards, if not the only one, that had not tormented Corpse yet, and he wasn’t planning on giving the guy a reason to. He had no doubt the Irishman was Head of Security for a reason. 

Before Corpse knew it, they had reached the end of the corridor. He felt a firm hand on his back and the familiar buzzing scanner-sound filled his ears. The door opened, and the hand pushed him inside. Corpse let out a low growl in response but resisted the urge to fight back. It would be his chained fists against an automatic rifle; not a good match up. 

The white clinical lights in the room blinded Corpse for a second. He blinked a few times to gather a feeling of his surroundings and found himself inside what could only be described as some sort of therapy room. It looked much more comfortable than what he was used to. Corpse narrowed his eye carefully, as he scanned the rest of the area. 

The walls were built of strong metal painted a screeching white hue. In the center of the room sat two cushioned chairs facing each other and a long table to create space between them. Everything was either colored a pure white or beige to build a fake sense of security. But Corpse knew better than that. Rooms like these were assigned to the new hires as ‘probation’ offices. They wouldn’t be allowed to work in the actual lab rooms until they have proven themselves to the founder of Tuskegee. 

Corpse stared wide-eyed at the cushioned chair he had been led to and turned around to look at Jack, who with a nod of his head, gestured for him to sit in the chair. 

Silently, Corpse lowered himself down on the seat. His body stiffened at the contact with the soft material. He doesn't remember having touched anything so amazing in his life. Instantly, Corpse collapsed into the heavenly chair, letting himself be absorbed by the wealthy fabric. His fingers were shaking, as they ran along the chair handle, and his eyes fluttered closed for just a second.

He froze at the sound of the security doors opening, and he shot up in the chair to eye the silhouette standing there. He raised an eyebrow and squinted his eyes together to get a closer look at the mysterious figure. There was no need to however because immediately, the man stepped into the light. And the sight alone had Corpse’s heart pound rapidly in his chest.

In the entrance stood a young man, and Corpse would probably have laughed at anyone who claimed this guy was a doctor, had it not been for the white lab coat and staff card necklace he was wearing. His hair seemed to be a delicious chocolate brown and looked so incredibly fluffy that Corpse felt a sudden urge to just touch it. Briefly, he wondered if it was as soft as the chair he currently occupied. His delicate, ivory skin appeared to glow under the fluorescent lights, and Corpse was unable to tear his gaze away.

Quiet steps of shoes hitting the linoleum floor finally broke Corpse out of his trance. He shook his head and stared wide-eyed as the figure came closer, pausing before the other cushioned chair. The most gentle pair of mocha eyes were lingering on Corpse from the other side of the table. He felt himself gulp, suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of self-consciousness. He shifted in his seat to a position that made the fucked up side of his face less visible. Out of the corner of his eye, he continued to study the new doctor.

"Y-you must be Corpse! It’s really nice to finally meet yo-" Corpse completely zoned out when the voice of the lithe man reached his ears. He had never heard such a tender and warm sound before. It resembled a protagonist straight out of one of those anime’s Corpse used to binge watch before…before he ended up here. As Corpse melted to the angelic voice that was Dr. Sykkuno, he found himself thinking:

_Fuck I'm screwed._


	2. New Starts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We got a lot more good reception on the last chapter than expect, thank you all so much for the kind words! Someone commented on us accidentally referring to Corpse having two eyes towards the end. I went back and fixed that (it was mine (Petra's) fault xD) but if you see the same mistake in future uploads, please let us know! Neither of us is used to writing Corpse with one eye. 
> 
> Thank you to Mollyroll for being our beta <3

The past weeks still felt incredibly surreal to Sykkuno. His mind was still trying to process how he had managed to get to where he was now. His eyes twinkled as he reminisced how proud his parents would be when he told them the news; they had always wished for him to become successful in his career. They wanted their child to be more fortunate than they had been, wanted him to find the success in life that they couldn’t. Sykkuno would forever be grateful for all the dedication they put into his schooling. All the private teaching, afternoons buried in homework, and trips to endless seminars around the state had really paid off. And he finally was able to give something in return.

A small smile spread across his lips as he remembered the day he delivered them the news. The news that  _ he _ was going to be working at a groundbreaking scientific research center run by one of the most influential business magnates of the century. Yes, he would be working at  _ ‘FutureX’  _ founded and managed by  _ Dr. Toast _ . His parents’ eyes had widened in utter disbelief. Quickly, they had composed themselves behind a stoic expression again, but Sykkuno still felt a proud flutter in his stomach at the momentary break of character. His mother offered him a squeeze on the shoulder, while his father gave an acknowledging nod. Sykkuno did not miss the faint tug at the corner of his father’s mouth. Tears formed in the brink of Sykkuno’s eyes and he had to blink them away hastily. The huge knot in his stomach that had only grown stronger over the years finally began to ease up, his mind no longer had to be clouded with thoughts of bringing shame to his family. 

That he would not live up to his family’s high expectations for him, and all the sacrifices they had made his whole life would have been wasted. The tension in his shoulders melted entirely, his body finally able to let go of the years of endless pressure to bring honor to the family name.

“-to be one of the places you find most interesting.” Sykkuno shook his head and blinked a few times realizing he had completely lost himself in his own head for a second there. He was met with a pair of curious eyes. Oh Jesus! Dr. Toast was probably expecting him to say something, wasn’t he?

“H-huh?” His cheeks flushed rose; how had he managed to get distracted this quickly? What would Dr. Toast think? Sykkuno tugged on the collar of his lab coat. His boss must have sensed the brunette’s anxiety because his  face immediately softened and he let out a lighthearted chuckle.

“I was just saying, this is our laboratory. It’s here that we produce our serums. As you know, we aspire to create and produce samples that will contribute to extending human life. But I suppose, you’re already aware of most of the public information available on our project goals. You seemed very thrilled about them in your thesis after all.” Sykkuno’s face felt as though it had been lit on fire. He could feel Toast’s analytical gaze on him, awaiting a response. Sykkuno tried to compose himself and dried off his sweaty palms on his lab coat. He swallowed the lump that had built itself in his throat and gathered the courage to speak.

“Y-Yes, I couldn’t help but be inspired by your g-goal to use your research as a means to h-help the less fortunate. I-I’ve always wanted to use my w-work to help make the world a better place.” His voice came off unsteady at first. However, a certain warmth soon crept into the brunette’s tone, as he spoke up about a message close to his heart. Toast smiled at the genuinity of other’s words. Sykkuno scratched the back of his neck with shaky hands, as he noticed the soft gaze lingering on him. In his nervousness, he had probably gotten carried away again.

“I always had the exact same motivation to conduct research. Ever since my grandpa passed away after a heavy battle with chronic illness, I have wished to find a way to erase that pain for others... so they wouldn’t have to go through the same tragedy.” Toast reached his right hand out and gestured with a nod of his head, for Sykkuno to take it. Hesitantly, Sykkuno did so, and soon the man’s other hand offered Sykkuno’s a reassuring squeeze. With a strong intensity in his eyes, Toast continued: “And we are so close to finding a solution for these people… which I truly think we can accomplish with your assistance Sykkuno. You’re a great addition to this team, and I am so pleased to have you here.”

He brought up a hand to cover his face, as his cheeks once more flushed a deep rose color. Sykkuno’s eyes darted around the hall, unable to meet the stare of the man complimenting him: “Oh Jesus, t-thanks Dr-”

“Call me Toast.” The business magnate insisted with a smile.

“Thank you...Toast,” Sykkuno’s throat had completely closed off in nervousness, making Sykkuno choke on his words. He gulped, as he finally managed to fight out a sentence.

“That’s uhh- very nice of you to say…” he stammered, but his voice soon drowned in the empty silence of the hall. Sykkuno was fumbling with the hem of his collar, as he waited for the awkward silence to be broken. As if on cue, Toast changed the subject and asked:

“Hmmm…I actually think we'll be able to do a quick tour around the laboratory. They should be escorting your subject to the infirmary as we speak...That should give us just enough time if you’re interested?” Sykkuno was just about to protest, not wanting to come off as a burden. However, Toast was already scanning his finger on the system board, and he was politely waiting for Sykkuno to enter the laboratory first. The brunette smiled shyly in return, as he murmured a thank you, before letting Toast close the door behind them. 

Sykkuno took in the overwhelming sight of the laboratory. It was bigger than any lab Sykkuno had visited or worked in as a trainee. He could hardly believe that this was only one of the many labs located in the facility. Like the rest of the building, most of the inventory and walls were colored a plain white shade, providing the room with a gleaming effect. 

The laboratory was filled with people in lab coats, glasses, and hairnets, busying themselves with the different equipment placed around the room. They all wore the same expression of furrowed brows and pressed lips that Sykkuno knew all too well. He made the same face himself when he was in deep concentration. Their heads were all heavily buried in whatever task they were occupied with.

Toast eagerly led Sykkuno towards one of the cabinets that were lined up along a part of the laboratories’ many different sections. With an almost smug expression, he presented their two revolutionary serums to the new doctor, who was staring at the cabinet in awe. 

The cabinet was built of an impervious glass-layer framed by, what seemed to be an even stronger titanium material. On the door of the cabinet was a large security board, ready to perform a scan of the staff members. Sykkuno took a step closer and narrowed his eyes to get a better look at the content inside. Toast couldn’t hide the glint in his eyes, as he asked: “Would you perhaps like to see the two serums more closely?”

Sykkuno stared wide-eyed at Toast, his mouth hanging agape. The other chuckled fondly at the brunette’s reaction, before turning his attention to the scanner system. The scanner greeted him, where it first prepared a finger scan, then continued on to perform an eye scan. The scanner system gave an approving ping and the lock unlatched with a click. Toast offered Sykkuno a wry smile, as he opened the cabinet doors and pulled out two small glass samples: one a vibrant yellow, the other green.

Toast gestured for Sykkuno to take the glasses, which he obeyed, holding the test tubes with trembling hands. His shoulders had become so tense, and his body so still that the young doctor forgot to breathe as if even the smallest move would cause a catastrophe. Sykkuno brought up his hands to study the liquids more closely in the light.

“The yellow serum is known as Styx. It was crafted by a man several years ago that showed promising results in lab mice. Essentially, Styx alters DNA coding to  _ reduce  _ the speed at which cells age, thus granting immortality. However, it has very...fatal side effects.” Toast carefully sets the vial back into the cabinet as Sykkuno’s attention was drawn to the second liquid. 

“This one is called Renewal and was the ingenious result of my thesis 5 years ago. I took DNA from starfish and octopi, spliced them together to create a serum that grants the user regenerative abilities. If a human were to lose a chunk of their liver, it would be back within a few hours.” He sighed, turning the glass over in his palm before securing it next to Styx. “However, it only works on a select few individuals and the side effects are rather alarming. Not to worry though, it's far more dangerous for the subjects than us.” The head scientist offered a reassuring smile. 

“Oh, looks like I lost track of time. We better be going, your subject should be waiting for you now.” Toast returned to Sykkuno, who hadn’t moved the tiniest since the samples had been removed from the safety of their container. 

“I promise you’ll be able to visit the lab here again anytime you please.” Toast smiled satisfactorily and stood a little taller once he instantly caught the other man’s attention. With the most gentle movements possible, Sykkuno handed back the two serums to Toast, who once again locked the liquids away. The young doctor managed to mumble out a muffled thank you behind his hand that he had brought up to his face. Toast brushed it off with an ignorant wave, insisting it was no trouble and that he was a part of their team now. 

"Should I show you to the infirmary?" Again, the other man’s head perked up as he gave a soft nod. With his shoulders back and the earlier grin still plastered on his face, Toast led Sykkuno out of the laboratory and down the hall.

“So, I assume you’ve already read through your subject’s case file?” The man turned his head to the young doctor beside him, as they continued walking down the long hall.

“Y-yes, I remembered to read it s-several times. You know, so I could be better p-prepared…” Sykkuno glanced down at his feet, blushing as he felt Toast’s curious gaze on him. He scratched the back of his neck, hoping he’d offered the scientist a satisfying enough answer.

“Well, there’s just a few extra things we might as well go over.” Toast began.

“The subject,  _ Corpse, _ can be quite the challenge at times. He is known to struggle against every procedure and fight against the staff at every given opportunity. He might not answer a single question for the mental evaluations, so don’t be too hard on yourself, and don't take any of his insults to heart. He is a troubled individual.” Toast gave Sykkuno’s shoulder a gentle squeeze and offered the younger doctor a reassuring smile. Sykkuno appreciated the kind gesture and brought a hand up to his mouth to cover the shy smile that had slowly spread on his lips. However, a tight knot had begun gnawing on his stomach.

"Recently, he had a little uh-” Toast paused in his tracks for a moment to touch his chin, appearing to be deep in thought. After a few seconds, he finally seemed to decide on how to finish the sentence, “ _ accident _ …It caused him to develop a deformed face. His right eye was lost too. Don’t look at him too sharply and you should be all good.”

The young doctor furrowed his brows as he took in this new information. Such fundamental data should have been mentioned in the subject’s files, yet there had been no trace of it. But...Toast did mention it had occurred fairly recently, so perhaps they just haven’t gotten around to updating the documents yet. Sykkuno decided to shrug it off, he was sure there was a good explanation for everything. There was no reason to think such false and harmful things; this facility was under the watchful eye of the government after all. 

Sykkuno didn’t register that they had reached the end of the hall. Sykkuno’s face flushed, stopping himself from almost walking face-first into the door. He tried to stand a little taller on the spot, a sad attempt to cover up his growing anxiety. Now was the moment he had been waiting for; he’d tried to prepare himself for this the entire week. 

“The room is all covered with high-tech cameras and microphones. The subject is being restrained and there’ll be a guard next to you the entire time. A team of scientists and I will be watching the meeting over the cams, so you got absolutely nothing to worry about. You’re in safe hands. If you, at any point, should feel uncomfortable, simply give us a signal and we’ll be there within a second.” Toast explained, his chest puffing out and shoulders leaned back. His voice had a modulated edge to it as if to ease any worries the young doctor had. And it worked.

“T-Thank you for everything sir-uh, I mean  _ Toast. _ ” Sykkuno scratched the back of his neck timidly but still managed to offer Toast an uncovered, though still very faint, smile.

“It was my pleasure.” Toast nodded to Sykkuno, giving him a confident grin in return.

With that Sykkuno, turned his back to the other man and pressed his thumb against the security scanner next to the titanium door. The scanner greeted him, before announcing with an approving ping that Sykkuno could enter the highly-secure room. The doors let out a loud squeak, as they began sliding open.

Sykkuno’s eyes fluttered closed for just a moment as he forced himself to take a deep breath. He could do this. With a new-found determination, he walked into the room. His firm steps echoed off the walls, his ears listening to the steady beeps of the machines within the confined area and the subtle clank of metal chains against the floor.

The room was incredibly light, almost blinding, with its screaming white walls and furniture. Sykkuno’s eyes went on to scan the area, but everything around him seemed to disappear as he locked eyes with a pale figure seated in the middle of the room. That must be him. That must be _Corpse_ , Sykkuno thought. 

Corpse was eyeing him carefully, hiding behind his own tangled curly black hair that kept falling in front of his eye. Sykkuno felt a faint need to stroke those curls away to properly see the man’s face. The light highlighted his rough, pale skin. It didn’t seem like he had access to sunlight in forever, yet Sykkuno couldn’t help but admire the way it gleamed and melted under the lamplights. Even though Corpse was doing a good job at hiding his face, Sykkuno still managed to catch the view of a strong smooth jawline.

However, Sykkuno didn’t miss the leathery skin covering the lower and right part of his face. The skin was a mix of pink veiny patches and discolored brown flecks.  _ Chemical burn, _ Sykkuno murmured under his breath, as a chill ran through his entire body. Corpse’s body was veiny and the grey jumpsuit appeared to be just a tad too big for him. Instead of two brown eyes, the right eye only existed as an empty eye socket. However, the other eye was glistening beautifully, while it focused on Sykkuno. Sykkuno felt himself squirm underneath his gaze.

Sykkuno’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. The man before him resembled nothing like the malicious descriptions that had been painted of him in his papers and by the other staff members.  _ No, he was beautiful, _ and Sykkuno found his face completely softening as he walked towards the subject.

“Y-you must be Corpse! It’s really nice to finally meet you!” He chirped in his usual mellow voice. There was absolutely no response from the figure, who remained frozen in his seat. Sykkuno swallowed the lump that had built in his throat and hoped a proper introduction could help appease the patient.

“I’m Sykkun- Oh, well, I- I guess it’s Dr. Sykkuno now.” Heat rose to Sykkuno’s cheeks when his voice came out in a weak stammer. He had only just greeted the subject, and he had already completely messed up. Sykkuno fidgeted with the collar of his lab coat, before reaching out his hand for a handshake in an attempt to ease up the tense atmosphere between them. For the first time since Sykkuno had entered the room, Corpse stopped ignoring him and turned around to properly face the young doctor.

Corpse stared at the delicate hand held towards for a few seconds, before locking his eye on Sykkuno. His eye no longer had the same cold edge to it and instead, he cocked an eyebrow and raised his hands as much as he could to show he was bound by the wrists and had no chance of reaching the other.

Sykkuno quickly realized his mistake and yanked his hand back, as if it had just caught on fire. His face was flushing bright red and embarrassment soon took hold of every cell in his being. He unconsciously brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he tried to stutter out an apology, which only came out as a mess of different incoherent words. Sykkuno swore he could even hear a small muffled laugh escape the guard posted beside the door for a second. Oh, how Sykkuno would have loved to just disappear off of the face of the earth right now.

However, as his eyes returned to the raven-haired man in the chair, his face instantly softened. Even though Corpse was no longer looking at him, Sykkuno noticed the small smirk that was lingering on the man’s lips. It caused a similar faint smile to spread across Sykkuno’s own features as well. At least his embarrassment hadn’t been for nothing. Actually, he wouldn’t mind doing it one more time if it meant he’d get to see that smile on Corpse’s lips again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're curious how we're writing this, ThatHotStuff takes charge of chapters in Sykkuno's POV while I focus on chapters written in Corpse's POV. But we both read over each other's work to ensure we are on the same page!


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